FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.3.9-13

శ్రీశుక ఉవాచ పృథు: పురూరవా గాధిర్నహుషో భరతోఽర్జున: । మాన్ధాతా సగరో రామ: ఖట్‌వాఙ్గో ధున్ధుహా రఘు: ॥ ౯ ॥ తృణబిన్దుర్యయాతిశ్చ శర్యాతి: శన్తనుర్గయ: । భగీరథ: కువలయాశ్వ: కకుత్స్థో నైషధో నృగ: ॥ ౧౦ ॥ హిరణ్యకశిపుర్వృత్రో రావణో లోకరావణ: । నముచి: శమ్బరో భౌమో హిరణ్యాక్షోఽథ తారక: ॥ ౧౧ ॥ అన్యే చ బహవో దైత్యా రాజానో యే మహేశ్వరా: । సర్వే సర్వవిద: శూరా: సర్వే సర్వజితోఽజితా: ॥ ౧౨ ॥ మమతాం మయ్యవర్తన్త కృత్వోచ్చైర్మర్త్యధర్మిణ: । కథావశేషా: కాలేన హ్యకృతార్థా: కృతా విభో ॥ ౧౩ ॥
pṛthuḥ purūravā gādhir
[prithuh purooravaa gaadhir]
nahuṣo bharato ’rjunaḥ
[nahusho bharato ’rjunah]
māndhātā sagaro rāmaḥ
[maandhaataa sagaro raamah]
khaṭvāṅgo dhundhuhā raghuḥ
[khatvaango dhundhuhaa raghuh]
tṛṇabindur yayātiś ca
[trinabindur yayaatish cha]
śaryātiḥ śantanur gayaḥ
[sharyaatih shantanur gayah]
bhagīrathaḥ kuvalayāśvaḥ
[bhageerathah kuvalayaashvah]
kakutstho naiṣadho nṛgaḥ
[kakutstho naishadho nrigah]
hiraṇyakaśipur vṛtro
[hiranyakashipur vritro]
rāvaṇo loka-rāvaṇaḥ
[raavano loka-raavanah]
namuciḥ śambaro bhaumo
[namuchih shambaro bhaumo]
hiraṇyākṣo ’tha tārakaḥ
[hiranyaaksho ’tha taarakah]
anye ca bahavo daityā
[anye cha bahavo daityaa]
rājāno ye maheśvarāḥ
[raajaano ye maheshvaraah]
sarve sarva-vidaḥ śūrāḥ
[sarve sarva-vidah shooraah]
sarve sarva-jito ’jitāḥ
[sarve sarva-jito ’jitaah]
mamatāṁ mayy avartanta
[mamataam mayy avartanta]
kṛtvoccair martya-dharmiṇaḥ
[kritvochchair martya-dharminah]
kathāvaśeṣāḥ kālena
[kathaavasheshaah kaalena]
hy akṛtārthāḥ kṛtā vibho
[hy akritaarthaah kritaa vibho]
pṛthuḥ purūravāḥ gādhiḥ — Mahārājas Pṛthu, Purūravā and Gādhi nahuṣaḥ bharataḥ arjunaḥ — Nahuṣa, Bharata and Kārtavīrya Arjuna māndhātā sagaraḥ rāmaḥ — Māndhātā, Sagara and Rāma khaṭvāṅgaḥ dhundhuhā raghuḥ — Khaṭvāṅga, Dhundhuhā and Raghu tṛṇabinduḥ yayātiḥ ca — Tṛṇabindu and Yayāti śaryātiḥ śantanuḥ gayaḥ — Śaryāti, Śantanu and Gaya bhagīrathaḥ kuvalayāśvaḥ — Bhagīratha and Kuvalayāśva kakutsthaḥ naiṣadhaḥ nṛgaḥ — Kakutstha, Naiṣadha and Nṛga hiraṇyakaśipuḥ vṛtraḥ — Hiraṇyakaśipu and Vṛtrāsura rāvaṇaḥ — Rāvaṇa loka-rāvaṇaḥ — who made the whole world cry namuciḥ śambaraḥ bhaumaḥ — Namuci, Śambara and Bhauma hiraṇyākṣaḥ — Hiraṇyākṣa atha — and tārakaḥ — Tāraka anye — others ca — as well bahavaḥ — many daityāḥ — demons rājānaḥ — kings ye — who mahā-īśvarāḥ — great controllers sarve — all of them sarva-vidaḥ — all-knowing śūrāḥ — heroes sarve — all sarva-jitaḥ — all-conquering ajitāḥ — unconquerable mamatām — possessiveness mayi — for me avartanta — they lived kṛtvā — expressing uccaiḥ — to a great degree martya-dharmiṇaḥ — subject to the laws of birth and death kathā-avaśeṣāḥ — remaining merely as historical narrations kālena — by the force of time hi — indeed akṛta-arthāḥ — incomplete in perfecting their desires kṛtāḥ — they have been made vibho — O Lord.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
pṛthuḥ purūravā gādhir
pṛthuḥ purūravāḥ gādhiḥ
Mahārājas Pṛthu, Purūravā and Gādhi
nahuṣo bharato ’rjunaḥ
nahuṣaḥ bharataḥ arjunaḥ
Nahuṣa, Bharata and Kārtavīrya Arjuna
māndhātā sagaro rāmaḥ
māndhātā sagaraḥ rāmaḥ
Māndhātā, Sagara and Rāma
khaṭvāṅgo dhundhuhā raghuḥ
khaṭvāṅgaḥ dhundhuhā raghuḥ
Khaṭvāṅga, Dhundhuhā and Raghu
tṛṇabindur yayātiś ca
tṛṇabinduḥ yayātiḥ ca
Tṛṇabindu and Yayāti
śaryātiḥ śantanur gayaḥ
śaryātiḥ śantanuḥ gayaḥ
Śaryāti, Śantanu and Gaya
bhagīrathaḥ kuvalayāśvaḥ
bhagīrathaḥ kuvalayāśvaḥ
Bhagīratha and Kuvalayāśva
kakutstho naiṣadho nṛgaḥ
kakutsthaḥ naiṣadhaḥ nṛgaḥ
Kakutstha, Naiṣadha and Nṛga
hiraṇyakaśipur vṛtro
hiraṇyakaśipuḥ vṛtraḥ
Hiraṇyakaśipu and Vṛtrāsura
rāvaṇo loka-rāvaṇaḥ
rāvaṇaḥ
Rāvaṇa
loka-rāvaṇaḥ
who made the whole world cry
namuciḥ śambaraḥ bhaumaḥ
Namuci, Śambara and Bhauma
namuciḥ śambaro bhaumo
hiraṇyākṣo ’tha tārakaḥ
hiraṇyākṣaḥ
Hiraṇyākṣa
atha
and
tārakaḥ
Tāraka
anye ca bahavo daityā
anye
others
ca
as well
bahavaḥ
many
daityāḥ
demons
rājāno ye maheśvarāḥ
rājānaḥ
kings
ye
who
mahā-īśvarāḥ
great controllers
sarve sarva-vidaḥ śūrāḥ
sarve
all of them
sarva-vidaḥ
all-knowing
śūrāḥ
heroes
sarve sarva-jito ’jitāḥ
sarve
all
sarva-jitaḥ
all-conquering
ajitāḥ
unconquerable
mamatāṁ mayy avartanta
mamatām
possessiveness
mayi
for me
avartanta
they lived
kṛtvoccair martya-dharmiṇaḥ
kṛtvā
expressing
uccaiḥ
to a great degree
martya-dharmiṇaḥ
subject to the laws of birth and death
kathāvaśeṣāḥ kālena
kathā-avaśeṣāḥ
remaining merely as historical narrations
kālena
by the force of time
hi
indeed
hy akṛtārthāḥ kṛtā vibho
akṛta-arthāḥ
incomplete in perfecting their desires
kṛtāḥ
they have been made
vibho
O Lord.
“Such kings as Pṛthu, Purūravā, Gādhi, Nahuṣa, Bharata, Kārtavīrya Arjuna, Māndhātā, Sagara, Rāma, Khaṭvāṅga, Dhundhuhā, Raghu, Tṛṇabindu, Yayāti, Śaryāti, Śantanu, Gaya, Bhagīratha, Kuvalayāśva, Kakutstha, Naiṣadha, Nṛga, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Vṛtra, Rāvaṇa, who made the whole world lament, Namuci, Śambara, Bhauma, Hiraṇyākṣa and Tāraka, as well as many other demons and kings who possessed great powers of control over others, were all full of knowledge, heroic, all-conquering and unconquerable. Nevertheless, O almighty Lord, although they lived their lives intensely trying to possess me, these kings were subject to the passage of time, which reduced them all to mere historical accounts. None of them could permanently establish their rule.”

According to Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī, and as confirmed by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the King Rāma mentioned here is not the incarnation of Godhead Rāmacandra. Pṛthu Mahārāja is understood to be an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who completely exhibited the characteristics of an earthly king, claiming proprietorship over the entire earth. A saintly king like Pṛthu Mahārāja, however, controls the earth on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas a demon such as Hiraṇyakaśipu or Rāvaṇa tries to exploit the earth for his personal sense gratification. Nevertheless, both saintly kings and demons must leave the earth. In this way their political supremacy is ultimately neutralized by the force of time.

Modern political leaders cannot even temporarily control the entire earth, nor are their opulences and intelligence unlimited. Possessing hopelessly fragmented power, enjoying a minuscule life span, and lacking deep existential intelligence, modern leaders inevitably are symbols of frustration and misdirected ambition.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Such kings as Pṛthu, Purūravā, Gādhi, Nahuṣa, Bharata, Kārtavīrya Arjuna, Māndhātā, Sagara, Rāma, Khaṭvāṅga, Dhundhuhā, Raghu, Tṛṇabindu, Yayāti, Śaryāti, Śantanu, Gaya, Bhagīratha, Kuvalayāśva, Kakutstha, Naiṣadha, Nṛga, Hiraṇyakaśipu, Vṛtra, Rāvaṇa, who made the whole world lament, Namuci, Śambara, Bhauma, Hiraṇyākṣa and Tāraka, as well as many other demons and kings who were powerful controllers, were full of knowledge, heroic, all-conquering and unconquerable. Nevertheless, O almighty Lord, they lived their lives intensely trying to possess me. They were not unsuccessful, even though they attained their goals fully, for these kings in time have become only historical accounts. Śrīdhara Svāmī says that Rāma mentioned here is not the son of Daśaratha. It is another king. These kings had strong possessive instincts, they were not unsuccessful. They were successful since they attained their desires (kṛtāḥ). They were full in form, qualities, and other features, but even then, they ultimately are only stories in history. What then to speak of modern persons, who are imperfect in attaining wealth and other things? Krta means Satya-yuga and paryāpti according to Amara-koṣa, and paryāpti means fullness.
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